Fuel-reclaiming apparatus



S.A.'STONEBACK. FUEL RECLAlMlNG APPARATUS.

APPLICATLON FILED DEC- 9, 1920.

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APPLICATION FILED 0120.9, 1920.

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UNITED STATES;

rarENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL A. STONEBACK; OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

FUEL-RECLAIMING- APPARATUS.

Application filed December 9, 1920.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL A. STONE- BACK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fuel-Reclaiming Apparatus, of whichthe following is a specification.

It is well known that ashes collected from households and other places contain a large amount of unburnt material which could be used for fuel if it could be reclaimed at such cost that it would make reclamation profitable, for example said ashes contain in addition to unburnt coal, other coal which'is only partly burnt.

One object of my invention is to provide a structure by which practically all the burnable material can be reclaimed from such ashes at such cost as to render the reclamation profitable. I

Another object is to make my improved structure so that the material can be handled in great quantities and readily transported.

These objects, and other advantageous ends which will be described hereinafter, I attain in the following manner, reference" being had to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a struc ture made in accordance with my present invention,

Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevation showing an adjustable shutter construction which may be employed,

Fig. 4 isv a fragmentary section showing a modified form of screen cleaning device from that shown in Fig. 1, and

Fig. 5 is a side View of the structure shown in.F1g. l. I

Referring to thewdrawings and particularly to Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, 6 represents a hollow housing body in the form ofa building which at one end includes an elevator "shaft 7 terminating at its bottom in a boot 8 into which ashes, such as above described,

can be dumped for example from a truck or.

wagon such as shown at 9. The elevator shaft includes a bucket elevator 10 of any usual construction, the upper sheave of which is positioned above the level of'a partition 12. To the side of the partition 12 opposite the elevator shaft is provided a compartment 13 which terminates in a hopper .14. A por- Specification of Letters Patent.

of the hopper and tion 2 1- and the end 30of Serial No. 429,325.

tion of the bottom of the hopper extends beyond a partition 15 in which is provided an opening 16. A transferring wheel 17, which is power dr1ven,.is mounted in the bottom projects partly through the opening 16.so that the ashes which are dumped in the body 8 will be raised by the elevator and discharged through the compartment 13 so as to fall in the hopper 14 and be moved by the transferring wheel 17 through the opening and permitted to slide down a chute 18, the bottom of which is in clined as clearlyshown in Fig. 1. Below the chute 18 is provided an up-draft air passage 19 whichat its top has a baffle 20; said batlieleading to the top of an opening 21 immediately below the lower end of the chute 13 and formed within a partition 22; said partition 22 together with a partition 23 forming said up-draft air passage.

Spaced from the partition 22 is another upright partition 2% including an opening which is opposite the opening 21 in the partition 22; said opening 25 preferably being of greater length height than is theopening 21. A fan 26 is positionedin the updraft passage 19 and Patented Aug. 30, 1921.

in the direction of itsv upwardly through the passage 19 will be de flected by the baffle 20 out of the opening 21 transversely and through the compartment 4 28 which is formed between the partitions 22 and 24:. said compartment 28, the air will pass through the opening 25 into a dust compart- After passing transversely through ment 29 which is formed between the partithe housing body 6. The bottom of the compartment 29 pref erably has a track 31 therein and the sides 32 of the housing V mounted a conveyer preferably of the screw.

type as shown at 39; said conveyor extendbody 6 have doorways 33 which, when the device is in use, are. closed and which consist downward path ing in the direction of the width of the housing body.

Perforated water tubes 410 are positioned transversely of the dust compartment 29 above the opening 25 and are adapted to cause sprays of water to pass downwardly through the dust compartment for a purpose hereinafter described. Furthermore aperforated water pipe a1 is positioned preferably within the transverse air passage 36 and is adapted to direct sprays: of water against the screen 37 for the purpose of keeping the perforations of the screen open during the operation of the device.

A gate or shutter a2 is movable in suitable guideways as and is adapted to vary the size of the opening 21 and this shutter can be regulated by any suitable mechanism, such for example as by the cables 44 and ratchet mechanism as as shown in Fig. 3.

My improved device operates as follows: The ashes mixed with the dumped into the body 8 and lifted by the elevator so as to be discharged in the hopper 14c. The transferring wheel operates to move the ashes containing the unburnt heavier portions onto the inclined chute 18 and the entire mass will slide down the chute and fall through the current of air passing out of the opening 21. The lighter portions of the ash, which is usually in dust or small particle form, will be deflected from its take the path of air current transversely across the compartment 28 and through the opening 25 into the dust compartment 29; the heavier particles previously referred to of unburnt and partly burnt coal, being heavier will continue to fall through the transverse air current and will drop into the trough 38 where they will be conveyed by the conveyer 89 out of the structure into any suitable receptacle (not illustrated) By the arrangement of the air passages 19 and 86 and the dust compartment 29, the fan 26 will establish a circulation of air which will take the path of the arrows shown in Fig. 1. The lighter particles of the ashes which pass into the dust compartment instead of blowing around in said space in an uncontrolled manner will take the: down ward course effected by the downward passage of the air within the compartment 29. By causing these particles to pass'down' wardly through the compartment 29, in which is included the water spray from the tubes L0, the dust will be of such weight that when reaching the car 35 itwill fall therein while the air will continue in its circulation through the screen 37 and thereby will be rid of any dust particles which may happen to continue below the car and will again be moved upwardly through the passage 19 and repeat its action by passing out of the openunburnt fuel is and will be compelled to ing 21 as before stated. In other words, the circulation of air in the manner specified keeps the lighter particles under control assisted by the moistening of said particles by the spray of water from the pipes it). The size of the opening 21 can be regulated to suit various conditions in order to provide a proper. delivery of air thcrethrough and the screen 37 will be kept clean due to the forcible discharge of water from the pipe at screen 37; said against the inner part of the water tending to keep the perforations of the screen open. The floor structure of the com partment 29 is preferably provided with a. gutter 46 which will convey any water, draining therein, out of the housing body.

The dust compartment 29 is preferably provided with deflecting bailies 4'? so as to cause the material falling therethrough to pass into the car 35. However, it will be understood that there is suiiicientspace between the bottom of the baffles l7 and the car to permit passage of air therethrough so as to again pass into the up-draft passage 19 through the medium of the'passage 36 and screen 37.

l have found that'the 'material such as that passing downwardly into the trough 38 practically all contains fuel value and can be used for many purposes.

In Figs. 4 and 5 I have shown a modified form of apparatus for keeping the screen 37 clean so that the perforations thereinwill not become clogged to such extent as to interfere with the circulation of air. In this modified structure I have shown a wire brush 48 a tached to a cable 4-9 passing over pulleys 50; the weight of the brush being counter-balanced by a weight 51; there being preferably provided a compartment 52 in which a workman can stand so as to move the cable to cause the brush to scrape against the screen 37 by an upward and downward.

such changes and alterations as fairly come within the scope of the appended claims.

l-laving thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is e i 1'. A device ofthe character described including means providing two upright compartments separated by a partition having an opening; means positioned to allow the discharge of 'material, containing ashes mixed with heavier fuel, down one of said compartments; and means providing an opening for directing a current of air trans. versely across said fuel compartment in a as described.

path at right angles said falling matethrough said first compartment; subsubstantially horizontal to the vertical path of rial and then directly opening into the other stantially as described.

2. A device of the character described including means providing two upright compartments arranged side by side and separated by a partition having an opening; means positioned to allow the discharge of material, containing ashes mixed with heavier fuel, down one of said compartments; means providing an opening for directing a current of air transversely across said compartment to and directly through said first opening into the other compartment above its bottom; means communicating with the latter compartment below said first opening and with said second opening and providing a passage, saidpassage together with said openings and compartments forming a circulating passage for said air; means for causing said air to circulate through said circulating passage; and a screen in the lower part of said circulating passa 'e; substantially as described. 7 I

8. A device of the character described including partitions spaced apart to provide a fuel compartment; means providing a dust compartment at one side of one of said partitions, said latter partition having an open ing communicating with said fuel and dust compartments; means providing an air duct having an outlet opening substantially'horizontally opposed to said first opening with the space of said fuel compartment forming a direct transverse air passage therebetween so that air emanating from said outlet opening will pass directly across said fuel chamber through said first opening and through the path of material containing fuel and ashes falling through said fuel chamber from a position above said outlet opening; and means for returning the air from said dust compartment to said air duct to establish a circulation of said air; substantially 4. A device of the character described including partitions spaced apart to provide an intermediate fuel compartment, an updraft air passage at one side of the fuel compartment, a dust compartment at the opposite side of the fuel compartment, and a transverse air passage communicating with the up-draft air passage and with the dust compartment adjacent its bottom, said partitions above the bottom of the fuel compartment having opposed openings; means for eifecting a circulation of air through said up-draft passage, then outwardly therefrom through one of said openings transversely across said fuel compartment through the other of said openings, then downwardly through said dust compartment and transversely through said transverse passage again into said Lip-draft passage; means for discharging ashes mixed with heavier fuel material into the portion of the current of air while passing across said fuel compartment whereby said heavier material will fall into the bottom of said fuel compartment and the ashes will pass into said dust compartment; and means for delivering sprays of water downwardly through said dust compartment; substantially as described.

5. A device of the character described in cluding partitions spaced apart to provide an intermediate fuel compartment, an updraft air passage at one side of the fuel compartment, a dust compartment at the opposite side of the fuel compartment, and a transverse air passage communicating with the up-draft air passage and with the dust compartment adjacent its bottom, said partitions above the bottom of the fuel compartment having opposed openings; means for effecting a circulation of air through said up-draft passage, then outwardly therefrom through versely across said fuel compartment through the other of said openings, then downwardly through said dust compartment and transversely through said transverse passage again into said up-draft assage; means for discharging ashes mixed with heavier fuel material into the portion of the current of air while passing across said fuel compartment whereby said heavier material will fall into the fuel compartment and the ashes will pass into said dust compartment; and a screen positioned to allow the air during its circulation to pass through it after passing downwardly through the dust compartment; substantially as described. I

6. A device of the character described includingpartitions spaced apart to provide an intermediate fuel compartment an updraft air passage at one side of the fuel compartment, a dust compartment at the opposite side of the fuel compartment, and a transverse air passage communicating with the up-draft air passage and with the dust compartment adjacent its bottom, said partitions above the bottom of the fuel compartment having opposed openings; means for effecting a circulation of air through said up-draft passage, then outwardly therefrom through one of said openings transversely across said fuel compartment through the other of said openings, then downwardly through said dust compartment and transversely through said trans verse passage again into said up-draft passage; means for discharging ashes mixed with heavier fuel material into the portion of the current of air while passing across said fuel compartment whereby said heavier material will fall into the bottom of said fuel compartment and the ashes will pass one of said openings tran.s'

bottom of said.

said up-draft passage,

into said dust compartment; a screen posi tioned to allow the air during its circulation to pass through it after passing downwardly through the dust compartment; and means for keeping open the perforations of said screen; substantially as described.

7. A device of the character described including partitions spaced apart to provide an intermediate fuel compartment; an up draft air passage at one side of the fuel compartment, a dust compartment at the op posite side of the fuel compartment, and a transverse air passage communicating with the up-draft air passage and with the dust compartment adjacent its bottom, said partitions above the bottom of the fuel compartment having opposed openings; means for effecting a circulation of air through then outwardly therefrom through one of said openings transversely across said fuel compartment through the other of said openings, then downwardly through said dust compartment and transversely through said'transverse passage again into said up-draft'pa'ssage; means for with heavier fuel material into the portion of the current of air while passing across said fuel compartment whereby said heavier material will fall into the bottom of said fuel compartment and the ashes wlllpass into said dust compartment; and means for regulating the size of said first specifically mentioned opening; substantially as described.

discharging ashes mixed cluding partitions spaced apart'to' provide an lntermedlate fuel compartment, an up draft a1r passage at one side of the fuel compartment, a oust compartment at the opposite side of thefuel compartment, and

therefrom through one of said openings transversely across said fuel compartment through the other of said openings, then downwardly through said dust compartment and transversely through said trans verse passage again into said up-draft'passage; an inclined chute; andmeans for delivering ashes mixed with heavier fuel material onto said'chute whereby said ashes will slide down said chute and be intercepted by the current of air passing trans versely across the fuel compartment so that the lighter material will follow the path of the air current into the dust compartment while the heavier fuel material will fall downwardly into said fuel compartment;

substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have" signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

a SAMUELiL STONEBAGK; itnesses:

CHAs. E. Porrs;

ELIZABETH GARBE'. 

